Accessibility laws for ecommerce brands
Accessibility legislation is expanding fast and online stores aren't exempt. Find out below which laws apply to your market and how EnableAll keeps you covered.
Why legislation matters for online stores
Web accessibility laws have traditionally focused on government websites and large enterprises. That's changing. In every major market, regulators are extending compliance requirements to private businesses. including ecommerce stores.
For Shopify merchants, the stakes are real: inaccessible websites face legal complaints, demand letters, and lawsuits. In the US alone, ADA-related web accessibility cases have grown year over year.
Most global accessibility laws share the same foundation, WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).
Key facts
1.3 billion
worldwide live with some form of disability — that's 16% of the global population.
$13 trillion
in annual spending power among people with disabilities and their networks.
98%
of websites fail basic accessibility checks — including most Shopify stores.
One standard, global reach
• Every major accessibility law ultimately points back to WCAG 2.1 AA as the benchmark for compliance.
• EnableAll offers stronger compliance across global legislation through automated code-fixes, an AI alt text engine, and an accessibility assist-bar.
• EnableAll doesn't slow down your site or require expensive and time consuming developer time.
What is WCAG and why does it matter for your website?
If you run a website, WCAG affects you. It sits behind virtually every accessibility law in force today, from the US Americans with Disabilities Act to the EU's European Accessibility Act. And yet most website owners have never had it explained in plain English. Read our detailed guide on WCAG and how it affects your website.
Accessibility laws by region
Explore the legislation that applies where you store sell. Each guide explains what the law requires, who it applies to, and what good compliance looks like for a Shopify store.
